The third-generation Hyundai Kona, expected as a 2028 model, has been photographed testing with most of its camouflage removed, and the car underneath looks a lot more ordinary than the one it replaces.
What the photos show, and what nobody agrees on
The current Kona is one of the more distinctive small crossovers on sale. It has heavy geometric creases, chunky plastic cladding around the arches, and a full-width front light bar Hyundai calls the Seamless Horizon Lamp. It looks like nothing else in the class, which is rare and mostly the point.
The latest, least-disguised prototypes appear to walk that back into a more conventional crossover shape, with softer surfacing, less cladding, and a thicker illuminated bar above a more curved nose.
Earlier sightings this year pointed the other way, with several outlets describing a boxier, more rugged car influenced by Hyundai's Crater concept. Gas and hybrid powertrains are both expected.
Why losing the weird would be a shame
Distinctive cars get sanded down at the second or third generation, because the styling that makes a car stand out in a review also makes some buyers hesitate in a showroom, and the safe redesign always tests better.
The trouble is that the class is already full of cars nobody can tell apart, which is most of why new cars all look the same. A small crossover that looks strange is at least memorable. A small crossover that looks like every other small crossover is competing purely on price and features, and Hyundai is good at both, so it might well work commercially.
It would just cost the Kona the one thing that made people talk about it. The Kona N earned real affection partly because it looked as unhinged as it drove.
Hyundai has been the most adventurous mainstream design department in the world for about five years, so it has earned some patience here. Judge the finished car, not the taped-up one.
Sources:
The latest less-disguised prototypes and the more conventional shape: Carscoops
Earlier spy shots read as boxier and Crater-influenced: autoevolution
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
